Heritage Minister Rebecca Vassarotti has taken the extraordinary step of dismissing the ACT Heritage Council following a review that found evidence of unprofessional behaviour and a stressful working environment.
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Ms Vassarotti said she had dissolved the current council and noted multiple members had already resigned after the findings of the review, conducted by the Nous Group, were made public.
"This has been a difficult decision to take, however, as I noted in my ministerial statement to the Legislative Assembly last week, the review highlighted the wide ranging and complex structural issues impacting the performance and relationship of the heritage council and ACT Heritage," Ms Vassarotti said.
The Heritage Minister said she would undertake a large-scale review of the government's heritage processes, including the workings of its heritage unit and the heritage council. Ms Vassarotti said last week she had lost confidence in the heritage council.
"This reform to strengthen heritage arrangements will be a priority for me over the coming twelve months," she said.
"This will commence with a jurisdictional review, which will begin shortly and will examine how heritage matters are dealt with across the country, and the role of council equivalents. Of critical importance for me through this review is enhancing protections for First Nations heritage."
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The heritage system will also be the subject a parliamentary inquiry, with the Legislative Assembly's standing committee on environment, climate change and biodiversity to consider the ACT's heritage laws, effectiveness and structure of the heritage council and the resourcing for the government's heritage unit.
The committee's chair, Labor's Marisa Paterson, announced the self-referred inquiry on Monday.
"Now is a critical time to examine the ACT heritage protection arrangements and to see how they can be improved in order to ensure they achieve their intended functions under the Heritage Act," Dr Paterson said.
The committee will consider how heritage laws work in other states and territories and what could be done to improve the the ACT's heritage system.
Submissions to the inquiry are open until March 3, 2023.
Ms Vassarotti said an interim heritage council would be appointed early next year while the government's review was underway, and would be in place for no more than a year.
"The functions of the interim heritage council will continue to deliver their responsibilities under legislation, including their ability to accept heritage nominations and formally register places/items as outlined in the Heritage Act 2004," she said in a statement.
"The interim heritage council will also play a key role providing expert advice to support the review."
Ms Vassarotti thanked the outgoing members of the heritage council for the service they provided the community and for their participation in the Nous review.
That review found the strained relationships between the council and inefficient heritage systems presented an "imminent risk to ACT heritage sites".
Under ACT heritage laws, the heritage council is the ultimate decision maker on whether places or sites on the territory's heritage register.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
